Citing hiker injuries, trespassing and vandalism, about 20 travel websites and bloggers are being asked to stop promoting Hawaii Kai’s Kamehame Ridge Trail, also known as Dead Man’s Catwalk and the Tom Tom Trail.
Kamehameha Schools, the Federal Aviation Administration, the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, the Hawaiian Hang Gliding Association and others sent a letter Friday asking travel websites and bloggers to stop promoting the 1.25-mile Hawaii Kai hike, which is marked with "No Trespassing" signs.
"A rise in hiking accidents has elevated our urgency to act," the letter states. "Two days ago, a woman broke her ankle near the concrete slab known as the Dead Man’s Catwalk and was later rescued by emergency responders. Other reports of trespassers who lose footing, slip and get hurt are continuously being submitted as well. The area is not safe and is not a sanctioned hiking trail.
"We humbly ask you to cease the promotion of and/or remove any mention — past and present — relating to Kamehame Ridge as a hiking destination, immediately."
The letter follows an identical tactic by Kamehameha Schools last year, when it sent letters to about 25 travel websites and bloggers that had been promoting the Mariners Ridge and Kamehame Ridge trails.
The response to the 2014 letters "was mixed," said Kamehameha Schools spokesman Kekoa Paulsen. "We got some people who apologized and didn’t realize it was private property and pulled their stuff. Others weren’t enthusiastic. Overall, people seemed to understand what we were trying to do and complied."
Even though not everyone agreed with Kamehameha Schools in 2014, Paulsen said both the old and new letters are important "to demonstrate that you’ve taken a step to inform people that they’re doing something that could have potential consequences for them."
Friday’s letter asks the websites and bloggers to provide "written confirmation of compliance to this request" within two weeks.
Without being specific, the authors promised to pursue "further recourse against your entity and administration" if they don’t provide written proof they have removed any mention of the hike.
Paulsen said the authors could pressure parent companies or affiliates of travel websites and bloggers who do not take down references to the Kamehame Ridge Trail.
Among graffiti, damaged fences and other vandalism, the FAA reported damage to an antenna that it uses to communicate with high-altitude aircraft.
David Goto, one of the directors of the Hawaiian Hang Gliding Association, which is licensed to use the area, has been repairing vandalized gates and fencing around the trail for about 40 years. The group’s carpeted launch platform also has been spray-painted.
While trespassing and vandalism have gone on for decades, Goto said the trail has seen a recent explosion in the number of trespassers.
"Now that social media’s put it out, we’ll see 50, 60, 70 people on the weekends," Goto said. "It’s crazy. There are two locked gates with ‘No Trespassing’ signs posted everywhere. The first thing we ask is, ‘Did you see the signs?’ There’s never a response."
Various parcels around the Kamehame Ridge Trail are owned by Kamehameha Schools and DHHL. Friday’s letter also was signed by licensees that include Winners’ Camp, the Hawaiian Hang Gliding Association and the Kuewa Project.
Social media has resulted in "a surge in trespassing activity at Kamehame Ridge," they say in the letter. "We have grave concerns about the safety of those who unlawfully scale the gated entry. Also, an increased amount of vandalism to telecommunications equipment, structures and other privately owned property on site has been attributed to the rise in illegal foot traffic in the area — a result of online promotions."
